Picos de Europa (Valdeón) (Cantabria)

The rich, creamy pate of this cheese with well-spread blue moulds has a mineral tanginess enhanced by the fruity zing from its sycamore-leaf wrapping. These are clues to the terrain of the majestically beautiful Picos de Europa mountains that cover the north and central section of the Cantabrian range. The peaks El Cornión to the west, Los Urrieles in the centre and Andara to the east are now part of the Spanish National Park and therefore protected, enabling tourists to explore the wild and picturesque landscape. Limestone caves, where the cheeses are matured, are key to the flavour profile of the blue cheeses from this area, and Picos de Europa is less intense than Cabrales, its other cheese. The leaf wrapping around the cheese gives the most stunning effect on a cheeseboard.